These footsteps are the start of something beutiful
by Immortal-sassy-ward-shipper
Summary: He hears the footsteps but doesn't know this will be the start of something he could never of imagined, the beginning of a new life.


Work Text:

When he hears the footsteps he isn't sure whether they are shield or hydra anymore but he knows they are a woman, they are far too light for anyone else. It strikes him that he really doesn't care anymore, he has tried to fight against the monster in the pit of his stomach, that dark twisted thing that he would never embrace and just ignored. He has tried and it is never good enough, not for her, not for anyone.

When nothing happens he decides he isn't going to go silently "don't happen to have any whisky on you, do you? Last wish of the dead man" he smirks "I didn't take you for that sort of man, agent ward" he looks up now, surprised to see Raina, she has the obelisk as well, and he offers her a pseudo charming smile "what are you still doing up here then, the drill not finished yet" he asks.

Raina is watching him curiously "it's finished but then I remembered you, I wasn't going to go down there without you" she says and he barks a laugh "I'm pretty sure only the worthy are allowed down there and I'm just human" she merely smiles.

"That's what you believe? It's no surprise you wouldn't know but you're much more than human" she tells him "I knew you were crazy" he winced at the pain moving brought "I can tell you more later but right now you should come with me. I can see it in you, I always have, Garrett didn't and Skye doesn't but I do, come with me and we can see your true self together" she presses the obelisk into his hand discreetly and he sucks in air through clenched teeth as power hits him, that monster raising its head and the pain of the bullets seems like nothing now.

"Shall we go" she offers him a hand and he nods, his thoughts jumbled, head not his own anymore.

/

He leans against the chamber wall to steady himself; the feeling of being home is engulfing him and Raina smiles knowingly. "You don't believe me still" she remarks "maybe because I know where I came from" he replies quickly and knowledge flows out of her.

"Ah, you see there's a lot you don't know. I looked into you, agent ward, into who you are. I saw something in you from the day we met. Did you know you were adopted? Of course not, I did my own research into you and all the while distracted you with Skye, it just wasn't the right time to tell you and Garrett didn't care for special people like us" she tells him, walking idly around the chamber before coming back to him, she outlines his cheekbones with her thumb and his skin burns where she touches him, bleeding into his skin.

"I'm nothing special" it's a contrast to what he told Skye but it's still the truth. Raina cocks her head at him slightly "well, there's always time later" Skye has arrived.

/

Skye doesn't know how ward is down here, or why, then she sees the obelisk in his hand "so, I thought you said no more lies" she gets their attention and Raina pulls back from ward to look at her "I knew you would come" the woman says.

"Well someone has to stop you" Skye replies focussing on the task at hand. "Your whole life, our whole lives have been leading to this moment" Raina glances back at ward "sorry but I don't buy into the whole 'this is your destiny' thing. We're taking the obelisk and leaving, there are too many lives at stake. Not that you really care" she keeps the gun ready, ward rolls his eyes but he doesn't seem to have a clue what's really going on.

"You've got it wrong. Whitehall, everyone has it all wrong. It doesn't destroy life, it gives new life. We all finally get to find out what we become" the obelisk is glowing in wards hand "both of you, stop it right now" Skye orders "don't look at me" ward shrugs "we can't stop it, none of us can" Raina smiles as the obelisk floats from wards hand to the podium.

The walls start to close on them and ward glances around casually but doesn't really seem to care what is going to happen, Skye In contrast is panicked while Raina is at ease "if anyone wants to leave, now's your chance" she tells them with excitement just oozing from her "I have to admit, I'm just a tiny bit nervous" she confesses "not the only one" ward mutters.

/

"That is one strange thing" ward says fascinated but unlike he and Raina, the two shield agents are more occupied with wanting to stop it.

"How do we stop it" trip asks Skye "I don't think we can" she answers knowing there really is none.

"what's supposed to happen" no one answers for a moment as it glows "something beautiful" Raina says before gas bursts from the crystals knocking them all back. "What in hell was that" ward says holding his side where Skye shot him, pain bursting from the area.

There's no opportunity for an answer before they start to be consumed by the stone that's engulfing them all slowly, except trip, and it's not Skye that ward looks at last but Raina.

/

He doesn't expect to open his eyes but he does, he is still in the chamber and the walls are beginning to open again.

"why are you alive but not him" he looks up to see Skye, stood on the opposite side of the chamber and he notices the fact trip is no longer there "I don't know what is-"the pain that hits him stops him finishing, he keels forward and tries to steady himself "Christ" he hears and hears the sound of metal falling to the floor.

/

Skye isn't sure what she is seeing but she knows she doesn't want to stay here, not when his eyes are getting darker and there's dark veins crawling under his skin, the bullets she put in him dropping to the floor.

"Skye" she hears and turns to see Coulson "we need to go" she tells him tearfully "what is it, what's wrong" he asks "trips dead and if we stay" the grounds shaking slightly and she glances back to where ward is slowly regaining his breathe and strength.

Coulson follows her line of sight and nods, she can see the question in his eyes of how ward was there and alive but that's not important. They need to go.

/

He can't breathe, he feels like he's being torn apart and his heart beat is roaring in his ears.

It all comes to a halt at once and he knows it's the calm before the storm and he knows Raina was telling the truth. He climbs up and looks for Raina, finds her in the dark where she is hidden.

"Raina?" the sound of his own voice surprises him; it's smooth yet rough and powerful.

He knows it is her; the spikes and danger are her as well. Her eyes are yellow and looking at him curiously, as if asking why he was staring. He reaches out and pauses, fingers hovering over her skin "may I?" he asks unsurely and she nods after a moment, he ghosts his fingers over the spike-like things under her eyes "amazing" he breathes and she changes before his eyes to what he was used to seeing.

"We should go" he says "where to now" she sighs "I have safe houses everywhere" he smiles through the pain.

/

He stumbles in the door of the apartment, unable to stand anymore and she takes his arm to help him in to the bed straight down the hall.

"Why am I the only one in pain right now" he growls as he falls onto the bed "I told you, you are different" she rolls her eyes and he grunts as he falls back onto the bed "damnit, there's only one room here" he mutters "I'm fine" she insists but he stubbornly shakes his head holding out a hand "it's a big bed. I'm a bit of a gentleman" he smiles stupidly.

She laughs as he pulls her down to the bed "see, big bed" he gloats "fine, you should rest grant, there's a lot to come" no one brings up the use of his first name "you too" he mutters back but he's already out of it.

She settles on the bed with a sigh and absently brushes the dark hair from his eyes "you'll see everything differently tomorrow"

/

Raina wakes up to an empty bed where there had been a warm presence not long ago; she hears soft music in the distance and almost feels peaceful.

This isn't her life, she knows that and this isn't somewhere she knows. Ward walks in with a cup and a plate "you seemed really tired, you like coffee?" he places the plate of toast on the bedside table and holds the cup out to her which she takes gratefully and pats the bed beside her.

He takes the offered place casually "how do you feel" he asks "good. You" she watches him closely "much better, better than I remember ever feeling" he admits shifting about.

"I'm not surprised" she says "you said you did research" he remembers "because I did, I could see it in you since the moment we met" she confirms.

"What did you find then" he asks curiously and she sips her coffee "I found that you were adopted. And you're not human" she informs him.

"Why did I have to go down there, like the both of you" he inquires "I looked at you DNA. You're half like me, half alien. That's why, the inhuman side locked your alien side so you had to unlock that" she sighs.

"Oh, ok. Good to know" he takes it well on the outside, inside his stomach churns.

/

"We can always look for what happened" Raina tells him and he's not sure if he really wants to know "maybe someday, not today" he decides

/

He snaps the neck of a man in Chicago without laying a finger on him and Raina looks at him gratefully "thanks, for saving my life" she says "it was nothing, just finding out what I can do now" he dismisses it with shaking hands

/

She shoves him against the wall "I don't care if you can heal, never do that again" she growls

"excuse me but I think I just stopped them from poisoning you" he replies heatedly looking down at her, they glare at each other for minutes on end before she pulls him down by his mess of hair and kisses him.

He near picks her up without breaking it and they barely make it to the bed, he lets her have the power.

/

They nearly kill each other

She bleeds power into him and makes him feel like so much more than he is

He fills her and gives her everything and more

They bruise each other, she leaves scratches down his back and he leaves bites on her skin

/

They collapse against the sheets when it's over and he strokes her hair with fascination over the curls while she brushes his from dark eyes slowly getting brighter and brighter.

/

She spins tensely when the hand grips her shoulder "Raina, been a long time" Coulson remarks "now we're taking you in" he tells her.

"No" she steps back but she's nowhere to go "stand down Raina, you're outnumbered" may steps up, weapon ready.

"Get the fuck away from my wife" a force yanks them both back and when they regain their footing ward is there, side by side with Raina and the identical rings on their fingers shine.

"You're married" lance is incredulous and both look offended

"Excuse me, there's nothing wrong with an interspecies marriage" Raina says for them both "were quite happily married for that fact" ward adds proudly, they link hands.

"I feel like I'm seeing something wrong" Simmons comments on the comms "very abnormal" Fitz agrees

"Interspecies" Coulson repeats incredulously "this is amusing, aren't they cute darling" Raina sighs leaning her head on wards arm "quite" ward agrees.

"Aren't you patronising and confusing" lance mocks and Bobbi shoots him a look "grant isn't human there go interspecies" Raina rolls her eyes.

"moved on fast, didn't you" may says "shouldn't you be rejoicing" ward retorts "I should be putting two between your eyes" she fires back "that would be more threatening if I was human and it actually would harm me" he smirks.

"Now, now darling. We've had a talk about riling people up for fun when they have weapons" Raina chastises him and he smiles affectionately at her "sorry sweetheart" she had him wrapped around her little finger.

"Poor bastard" lance mutters "I feel nauseous. that is sickly sweet" Bobbi shoots him another look.

"I think we should all calm down and go our separate ways. We won't be a bother; we're taking a little trip" Raina smiles sweetly at them all "and ignore any energy signatures, it's nothing important" ward adds.

/

"Are you ok" Raina asks sitting next to him on the couch "fine" she knows better of course and curls into his side.

"Let's get married" he says after a silence "what" she laughs looking up at him from the TV and he smiles now "let's go get married" he repeats "you're asking because it's been a long day" she shakes her head.

"am I not allowed to want to marry the beautiful, smart, resourceful, brilliant and amazing woman I love?" he asks teasingly "when you find out bad news the same day and aren't prepared then no you're not" she replies.

"Excuse me but I don't know who to call to get a blessing to ask. I am totally ready" he tells her offended "oh really" she laughs.

He slides off the couch and goes onto one knee, pulling off the chain from around his neck and unhooking the ring that hung from it. "Raina, will you marry me" he asks seriously "you're actually doing this?" she shakes her head amused "of course sweetheart"

"Ask me again later"

/

"Just because were in public I won't say yes" she tells him

/

He looks up when Raina walks in "no" she doesn't even give him a chance and he spins the laptop around with a grin

"I didn't know who to ask so I guessed someone" Cal is on the computer screen and at her silence ward frowns "did I do something wrong? Are you ok? I'm sorry if I've hurt you" he apologises immediately "I gave him my blessing, he's planned it all" Cal tells her.

She shakes her head at them fondly "you idiot" she smiles exasperatedly, the puppy he had taken in from the street bound in carrying a box and sat at her feet.

"you idiot" she repeats bending to get it, the same ring waiting there in the box with a note on a little string 'I love you, will you marry me xx' she slipped the ring on after reading the inscription.

"Peu importe la peine, vous avez toujours me sauver" she reads smiling "no matter the trouble, you always save me" he translates for her.

"So what have you planned?"

/

The day they find out the fate of his parents is the day she almost loses him.

"Hey, hey, look at me grant" she cups his face in her hands "calm down, don't lose yourself to it again" she talks him down, eyes meeting.

"S.H.I.E.L.D killed him; they took him when he did nothing. They-they" he snarls "they took him in to the fridge then they experimenting on him, they tried to find, extract and enhance his powers and in the process killed him" she finishes for him calmly.

"Grant, look at me. It will be ok, just focus on me" she tells him feeling the heat of his skin, feels it tighten under her grip and she knows she's losing him, he's slipping and letting the rage take over.

"Stay looking at me, just look at me. Don't think about anyone else" she lets her control go and shows who she's become "just stay looking at me" she holds his hands and leads him back to their currant house.

"Sit down" she tells him and he takes a seat on the closed toilet seat, keeping his eyes on her like she's his life line and he is drowning. She takes off his jacket and shirt first, putting them to the side to wash. Then his jeans, instructing him like a child.

She takes a wet cloth and starts wiping his hands down then his arms and his face to get rid of the blood. "Come on, in the shower" she sighs stripping her own clothes and turning on the warm water.

She wipes the rest of the blood away under the stream of water "let me" he takes the cloth from her gently and starts washing her slowly and carefully.

There was nothing sexual unlike their usual showers together, this time every touch spoke of how much they cared for the other.

"Thank you" he whispers into her hair as they lie in bed.

/

The ceremony is small but he's planned it all. There's a few people they've met over the years enough to name friends, Kara is there (otherwise known as agent 33, they'd found her after San Juan and helped her).

Cal even makes it, she appreciates his apology for how he treated her and he gives her away.

Grants sorted out everything, arranged it all and even left her an array of dresses to choose from with flower details somewhere on the dresses.

/

"When we met I was…there's no way to describe it. And I missed you completely, I was an idiot. But you? You saved me, you saved me then and you saved me in San Juan. You're the reason I am still me and that 'me' is not just a monster. Without you I would be someone else"

/

"I didn't want to care for you, at first you were just another pawn. Then I saw more in you and at San Juan…you didn't turn away from me. When you didn't need me you still stayed. When everything I wanted was done I found something new, I found a home"

/


End file.
